Is there a way to upgrade mid 2011 IMAC from High Sierra?

[Surfbull]

Hello,
I have a mid 2011 IMAC that works great for me. Will there be a problem with security if I can't move the OS up from High Sierra? I don't have a virus program and am pretty careful about Malware. I know that the computer is old but I haven't saw the need to upgrade it especially to the new IMAC since I have the 27" model. I was thinking that Apple may come out later this year with a larger screen IMAC so if mine does go down I may have to look at a 2020 model or fix it if it isn't a large $ issue.

Thanks,
Surfbull

 

[harryb2448]

Here we recommend DetectX Swift or Malwarebytes for Mac, the free version, for malware and Virus Barrier Scanner for other threats. You could try the various hacks to get a later operating system on your iMac, but I would not bother as there is always some risk associated with hacks and patches.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

That iMac can be upgraded only to High Sierra and not beyond. While you aren't technically at risk of security issues if you are careful with what you install and so on, you are running an outdated OS that Apple will not fix, even for security issues I imagine since it's sufficiently behind.

On the other hand, while Big Sur is the current version of macOS, security issues on Catalina (the previous iteration) will be patched since there might be people who haven't made the jump yet.

If the machine is working well for you on High Sierra, continue using it until it comes time for an update.

 

[pm-r]

I have a mid 2011 IMAC that works great for me. Will there be a problem with security if I can't move the OS up from High Sierra? I don't have a virus program and am pretty careful about Malware

I also have and use a mid-2011 27in 2.7Ghz iMac and still in use Mac OS 10.9.5 Mavericks as my main OS X version without any "problem with security" and I do not anticipate any.

Use the anti-malware software as suggested and be very careful of where you go and what you do which I'm sure you do.

Your current Mac OS version is more recent than what I use and I just prefer to use the older version as Apple removed some of the little features that I like and use often from later versions and there are none of the new features in the later versions that I need or can even use.

The macOS 10.13 High Sierra stopped receiving any security updates starting in January 2021, so unless you use your iMac in a certain situation where it is not supported, IE some universities etc, personally I wouldn't worry about it and it sounds like it is running well and also suits your use very well.


- Patrick
=======

 

[Surfbull]

Here we recommend DetectX Swift or Malwarebytes for Mac, the free version, for malware and Virus Barrier Scanner for other threats. You could try the various hacks to get a later operating system on your iMac, but I would not bother as there is always some risk associated with hacks and patches.

Thanks for your time. Will do.

Regards,
Surfbull

 

[Surfbull]

That iMac can be upgraded only to High Sierra and not beyond. While you aren't technically at risk of security issues if you are careful with what you install and so on, you are running an outdated OS that Apple will not fix, even for security issues I imagine since it's sufficiently behind.

On the other hand, while Big Sur is the current version of macOS, security issues on Catalina (the previous iteration) will be patched since there might be people who haven't made the jump yet.

If the machine is working well for you on High Sierra, continue using it until it comes time for an update.

Thanks for your input.

Surfbull

 

[Surfbull]

I also have and use a mid-2011 27in 2.7Ghz iMac and still in use Mac OS 10.9.5 Mavericks as my main OS X version without any "problem with security" and I do not anticipate any.

Use the anti-malware software as suggested and be very careful of where you go and what you do which I'm sure you do.

Your current Mac OS version is more recent than what I use and I just prefer to use the older version as Apple removed some of the little features that I like and use often from later versions and there are none of the new features in the later versions that I need or can even use.

The macOS 10.13 High Sierra stopped receiving any security updates starting in January 2021, so unless you use your iMac in a certain situation where it is not supported, IE some universities etc, personally I wouldn't worry about it and it sounds like it is running well and also suits your use very well.


- Patrick
=======

Hello Patrick,

Yes it still suits me fine. Thanks for your input.

Regards,
Surfbull

 

[RadDave]

That iMac can be upgraded only to High Sierra and not beyond........

On the other hand, while Big Sur is the current version of macOS, security issues on Catalina (the previous iteration) will be patched since there might be people who haven't made the jump yet.

If the machine is working well for you on High Sierra, continue using it until it comes time for an update.

Hi Ashwin - well, I suspect that only a minority of Mac users have made the 'jump to Big Sur', including our friend Patrick and others on the forum including myself - but I was just curious about what macOS versions were currently being used - below a graph from HERE apparently indicating that 2/3 of Mac users are still on Catalina like me - Big Sur has not yet made the listing - not sure of the source? But for myself, Big Sur, Apple's M1 introductions, and the issues w/ cloning software really need to be better resolved in my mind before I plan on upgrading. Dave
.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Dave, the trend seems to be that about 80% of the iOS users jump up to the latest version of iOS on release, while the macOS upgrade is slower mainly because of other constraints.

To that end, Apple continues to provide security updates for the past few releases like Catalina and El Cap and Mojave, but it has to draw the line somewhere.

While some part of the obsolescence of older Macs is due to hardware limitations that the new versions of macOS wants to leverage, it's more a way of getting people to upgrade to that they can stop supporting older versions of the OS.

Just look at how long it took Microsoft to EOL Windows XP.

 

[MacInWin]

Hi Ashwin - well, I suspect that only a minority of Mac users have made the 'jump to Big Sur', including our friend Patrick and others on the forum including myself - but I was just curious about what macOS versions were currently being used - below a graph from HERE apparently indicating that 2/3 of Mac users are still on Catalina like me - Big Sur has not yet made the listing - not sure of the source? But for myself, Big Sur, Apple's M1 introductions, and the issues w/ cloning software really need to be better resolved in my mind before I plan on upgrading. Dave
.
View attachment 34032

Not sure I buy that chart. Surely some measurable percentage of Macs are on Big Sur. Adding the percentages gets to 98.81% not Bug Sur, which only leaves a maximum of 1.19% for Big Sur. Not believable. Maybe they cannot tell the difference between 10.15 and 11?

 

[krs]

Not sure I buy that chart.

What I found odd is that the percentage numbers and the graph refer to "Desktop MacOS"
Does that mean it somehow only counts Mac Minis, iMacs and Mac pros; none of the MacBook types?

 

[Rod]

Stick with it till it breaks, which could be some time. Remember to keep it backed up for when it does.

 

[krs]

Stick with it till it breaks, which could be some time.

Yeah - I'm trying to remember if I ever had a recent (in the last 20 years) Mac that was replaced because it "broke". The typical issue for me is that I hit the wall with OS software updates and then eventually applications that require a later macOS than what my machine is capable of.

 

[Rod]

Yes, the same for me but, I have had to replace internal drives occasionally.
At the moment I'm writing this on a 13" 2015 MBP but technically it is only 3.5 years old because I bought it in the beginning of 2018 at the Christmas sales.
It still runs the current macOS and hopefully it will last until the 2022 14" MBP is released with it's rumoured changes, eg no touch strip, MagSafe charge connector and added input/output ports.

Having said that I also have a 2010 white unibody 13" MacBook running High Sierra which works perfectly as a standby and to run all my old (previously purchased) 32bit apps.

As for security I have a full time VPN running, have RansomWhere and Oversight installed, use DetectX Swift and VirusBarrier Scanner occasionally and use a no tracking, ad blocking browser.

Most importantly I back it up daily to Time Machine.

 

[Jan Steinman]

That iMac can be upgraded only to High Sierra and not beyond.

You can unofficially take it to at least Mojave via the Dos Dude patches, and maybe even Catalina.

I'm running Mojave on a Mac Pro 4,1 from 2009.